Editing Mentioned in dispatches (section)

=== United Kingdom ===
[[File:Victory Medal 1914-18 with Mention in Despatches (British) Oak Leaf Cluster.jpg|thumb|160px|right|A Victory Medal 1914–18 with Mention in Despatches device]]

Servicemen and women of the [[United Kingdom]] or the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] who are mentioned in despatches are not awarded a medal for their actions, but receive a certificate and wear an oak leaf device on the ribbon of the appropriate campaign medal. A smaller version of the oak leaf device is attached to the ribbon when worn alone.<ref name= Abbott/> 

Prior to 2014, only one device could be worn on a ribbon, irrespective of the number of times the recipient was mentioned in despatches. <ref name=JSB>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/honours-and-awards-in-the-armed-forces-jsp-761|title=Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces (JSP 761) (V5.0 Oct 16). Paras 12.02 and 12.19|work=MoD Joint Services Publication|date=4 October 2016 |access-date = 2018-02-19}}</ref><ref name=Duckers/> Where no campaign medal is awarded, the oak leaf is worn directly on the coat after any medal ribbons.<ref>{{cite web|title=British (Imperial) Mention in Despatches and Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct|url=http://www.vvaa.org.au/mid-qc.htm|publisher=Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia|access-date=2009-04-24}}</ref> In the [[British Armed Forces]], the despatch is published in the ''[[London Gazette]]''.<ref name= Abbott/>

Prior to 1914, no decoration existed to signify a mention in despatches, although sometimes a medal for gallantry could be awarded in its place.<ref name= Abbott/>

For 1914–1918 and up to 10 August 1920, the device consisted of a spray of oak leaves in bronze worn on the ribbon of the [[Victory Medal (United Kingdom)|Victory Medal]].<ref name=Duckers>{{Cite book|author=Peter Duckers.|title=British Gallantry Awards 1855 – 2000.|pages=54–55. Published by Shire Publications, Oxford, 2010}}{{ISBN|978-0-7478-0516-8}}.</ref> Those who did not receive the Victory Medal wore the device on the [[British War Medal]].<ref>{{Cite book|author=Joslin, Litherland and Simpkin.|title=British Battles and Medals.|page=229. Published Spink, London. 1988}}</ref> Established in 1919, it was retrospective to August 1914. An example of the frequency of being mentioned in despatches is twenty-five out of 1,000 members of the [[Royal Newfoundland Regiment]] were so honored in the First World War.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rnr.therooms.ca/part3_commendations.asp |title=The Newfoundland Regiment and the Great War: Commendations |publisher=The Rooms Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador |access-date=5 Aug 2017}}</ref> In all, 141,082 mentions were recorded in the ''London Gazette'' between 1914 and 1920.<ref name= Abbott/>

From 1920 to 1993, the device consisted of a single bronze oak leaf, worn on the ribbon of the appropriate campaign medal, including the [[War Medal 1939–1945|War Medal]] for a mention during the Second World War.<ref name= Abbott>{{Cite book|author= P E Abbott & J M A Tamplin.|title=British Gallantry Awards. ''1981''|pages=296–300. Published by Nimrod Dix & Co, London, 1981}}{{ISBN|0-902633-74-0}}</ref> The [[Canadian Armed Forces]] still use the bronze oak leaf device.

Since 1993 changes have been made in respect of United Kingdom armed forces:

For awards made from September 1993, the oak leaf has been in silver.<ref name=Lgazette>{{London Gazette|issue=56878|page=3354|date=17 March 2003|supp=y}}</ref> The criteria were also made more specific, it now being defined as an operational gallantry award for acts of bravery during active operations.<ref name=MoD>{{cite web|title=Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility|url=https://www.gov.uk/medals-campaigns-descriptions-and-eligibility |publisher=Ministry of Defence Medal Office|access-date =11 June 2018}}</ref>

From 2003, in addition to British campaign medals, the device can be worn on [[United Nations]], [[NATO]] and [[EU]] medals.<ref name=Mussell>{{Cite book|author=John Mussell (ed).|title=Medal Yearbook 2015.|page=108. Published by Token Publishing Ltd. Honiton, Devon}}</ref>

[[File:Mentioned in despatches.jpg|thumb|right|Formal notice of a soldier in the [[Motor Machine Gun Service]] mentioned in despatches, by [[Field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal]] [[John French, 1st Earl of Ypres|Sir John French]] for gallantry at the [[Battle of Neuve Chapelle]], signed by [[Secretary of State for War]] [[Winston Churchill]].]]

Prior to 1979, a mention in despatches was one of three awards that could be made [[posthumous recognition|posthumous]]ly, the others being the [[Victoria Cross]] and [[George Cross]]. The 1979 reform allowed all gallantry decorations to be awarded posthumously.<ref>{{cite web|title=Recommendations for Honours and Awards 1935 – 1990|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/wo373.asp|publisher=The National Archives|access-date=2009-04-24}}</ref>

Examples of soldiers who were mentioned with unusual frequency include the British First World War Victoria Cross recipient [[John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort|John Vereker]], later Field Marshal Viscount Gort, a total of nine times, as was the Canadian general [[Arthur Currie|Sir Arthur Currie]].<ref>{{cite web|title = Obituary of General Sir Arthur Currie, The (London) Times, Friday, December 01, 1933|url = http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/transcripts/transcriptDisplay.asp?Type=N&transNo=303 | access-date = 2008-09-15}}</ref> The Australian general [[Gordon Bennett (general)|Gordon Bennett]] was mentioned in despatches a total of eight times during the First World War, as was Field Marshal [[John Dill|Sir John Dill]].

Below are illustrations of the device being worn on a variety of campaign medal ribbons:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[File:Victory Medal MID ribbon bar.svg|80px]] || [[Victory Medal (United Kingdom)|Victory Medal]] || First World War
|-
|[[File:Naval General Service Medal 1915 BAR MID.svg|80px]] || [[Naval General Service Medal (1915)|Naval General Service Medal]] ||  Campaign Service<br>(1920–1962)
|-
|[[File:General Service Medal 1918 BAR MID.svg|80px]] || Army & RAF<br>[[General Service Medal (1918)|General Service Medal]] || Campaign Service<br>(1920–1962)
|-
|[[File:War Medal 39-45 w MID BAR.svg|80px]] || [[War Medal 1939–1945]] || Second World War
|-
|[[File:Korea Medal BAR MID.svg|80px]] || [[Korea Medal]] || Korean War
|-
|[[File:General Service Medal 1962 BAR MID.svg|80px]] || [[General Service Medal (1962)|General Service Medal]] ||  Campaign Service<br>(1962–1993)
|-
|[[File:Vietnam Medal BAR MID.svg|80px]] || [[Vietnam Medal]] || Vietnam War
|-
|[[File:Gulf Medal BAR MID.svg|80px]] || [[Gulf Medal]] || Gulf War
|-
|align=center|[[File:Mention in despatches silver ribbon device.png|60px]] || Silver oak leaf device || Awards since 1993
|}